Trump’s tariffs are no match for the growing U.S. trade deficit

Trade.
(Image credit: STR / Getty Images)

President Trump's "America first" policy, it turns out, has yet to yield much in the way of results, economically-speaking. In fact, the U.S. trade deficit is actually growing.

Despite implementing a wide range of tariffs last year, particularly on goods imported from China, the United States' trade deficit has swelled to its largest peak since 2008, the Commerce Department announced on Wednesday. In terms of merchandise, The Washington Post reports, the deficit has reached its highest point ever. The same is true of the trade gap with China, which hit a record $419 billion. The report also shows that imports from Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa far outweigh U.S. exports.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.